Portsmouth aims to be dementia friendly city

Sunday

Dec 3, 2017 at 3:15 AM

PORTSMOUTH — Wentworth Senior Living, a nonprofit senior living community well-known in Portsmouth for more than 100 years, has initiated a movement to become the first dementia friendly city in New Hampshire. A collaboration between Wentworth Senior Living, Portsmouth Senior Services, and Alzheimer’s Association.

Wentworth Senior Living, in collaboration with Portsmouth Senior Services, recognizes the need for multi-sector dementia education training. By taking this proactive stance, community personnel including police, fire, emergency medical service providers, grocers, bankers, teachers, and religious affiliates will learn about the disease and how to recognize its symptoms. Community members will also discover how to effectively communicate with and assist those they believe may have the disease.

Supported by Portsmouth’s Mayor, Jack Blalock, Chief of Police Robert Merner, and Fire Chief Steve Achilles, this movement was influenced by the Dementia Friendly America initiative, an organization with a pursuit to create dementia friendly communities where all people can live, age, and thrive.

“Portsmouth, is a forward-thinking community who cares deeply for its neighbors,” said Jack Blalock, Mayor of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. “As mayor of Portsmouth, I support this initiative wholeheartedly and applaud Wentworth Senior Living for recognizing the imminent need for dementia training and education.”

There are currently 5.4 million people in America that have Alzheimer’s Disease.

“This dementia friendly initiative is a natural extension of an already age-friendly community,” said Brinn Sullivan, senior services supervisor for the City of Portsmouth and manager of the Senior Activity Center. “We’re proud to join Wentworth Senior Living in this movement. Through these trainings, and other future projects, we hope that the community develops a more sympathetic approach to the disease."